Ben Carson has tested positive for COVID-19

[Calliecake]

When will people wake up and wear a mask???

 

[Tekate]

He's a famous, world famous surgeon, you would think you would know better. Such a shame.

 

[missy]

Unbelievable. But sadly not too surprised.

I just had another experience 5 minutes ago with a woman not wearing a mask as she entered the public restroom where signs clearly indicate one must wear a mask. Instead she was holding hers in her hand. SMH.

Of course I asked her politely to please put on the mask. But I I resent having to.

People are behaving ridiculously and without care for others well being.

Our infection rate is climbing higher each day here.

 

[Arcadian]

he didn't learn from Herman Cain I guess.

 

[tyty333]

I still worry that some of these people are getting sick even with a mask. I guess I'm paranoid! I wish I knew if they
have been wearing one...perhaps the percentage of time or...out in public but not at home, etc.

 

[Arcadian]

I still worry that some of these people are getting sick even with a mask. I guess I'm paranoid! I wish I knew if they
have been wearing one...perhaps the percentage of time or...out in public but not at home, etc.

The truth is that a mask is part of an entire social distance program to reduce viral load. It cannot get rid of it completely on its own, not from something this airborne. Those that wear masks (even improperly) seemingly get a lot less viral load than without a mask at all. That alone can insure people may be able to convalesce at home instead of a hospital should they get ill, taking pressure off the health care system.

What needs to be done is to take politics out of the pandemic, unfortunately we may not be able to.

 

[m-cubed]

For those still wondering if masks work (but not willing to put the work in to read the scientific literature), I have some nice anecdata. I gave blood the other night at the Red Cross center near my house. That facility has required masks for blood donations for at least the last 6 months, staff and donors. Staff originally had homemade fabric masks (probably due to PPE shortage), but are now wearing paper-type surgical masks. If you've given blood, you know the nurses are all up in your business for at least 15 minutes. First you sit within 2-3 feet of one while they go through the donation questions and take your vitals in a small enclosed room. That's probably 5-10 minutes. Then they are close to you while they set up the donation apparatus, check on you periodically and then remove the needle/finish up. If it's slow, they might stay nearby and chat. So definitely what CDC could consider to be close contact and a higher risk indoor activity. The nurse I spoke to said that none of the staff have become positive for COVID, either via PCR or antibody test (Red Cross has an antibody testing program for donations - sounds like this is also available to staff), despite 3 known exposures where someone donated and then was determined to be positive during that period.

Masks certainly aren't guaranteed protection, but they help. No reason not to wear one!

 

[missy]

I still worry that some of these people are getting sick even with a mask. I guess I'm paranoid! I wish I knew if they
have been wearing one...perhaps the percentage of time or...out in public but not at home, etc.

They definitely are. I am sorry to have to write this but a mask isn't foolproof. It just isn't. It is better than not wearing one however.
Masks need to fit properly (snugly) and one still has to maintain proper distancing. Which cannot be done in all circumstances.

So we do the best we can with what we know and have and that is all we can do. Wearing one is absolutely better than not wearing one.

 

[kenny]

There are at least 2 ways the virus gets into a body.
1. Breathing in airborne virus.
2. Using a not-clean hand to carry it to your nose, mouth, or eyes.

You could be a perfect mask wearer with the best custom-fit N95 mask, but it's difficult to not touch things when you're out and about, and be super duper conscientious about hand washing - and it's difficult to not touch your face.

 

[MamaBee]

They definitely are. I am sorry to have to write this but a mask isn't foolproof. It just isn't. It is better than not wearing one however.
Masks need to fit properly (snugly) and one still has to maintain proper distancing. Which cannot be done in all circumstances.

So we do the best we can with what we know and have and that is all we can do. Wearing one is absolutely better than not wearing one.

I agree Missy...If I have a doctor appointment or bring my car in to be serviced in a small lobby..I wear TWO...I wear my cloth one first with the kn95 on top. It took practice to get use to breathing with them on...but I did.

 

[MamaBee]

There are at least 2 ways the virus gets into a body.
1. Breathing in airborne virus.
2. Using a not-clean hand to carry it to your nose, mouth, or eyes.

You could be a perfect mask wearer with the best custom-fit N95 mask, but it's difficult to not touch things when you're out and about, and be super duper conscientious about hand washing - and it's difficult to not touch your face.

I sometimes wear gloves if I know I can’t be near soap and water. It’s also a good reminder not to touch my face. I’ll pull them off inside out and use that to open the door, etc. At that point I still use my hand sanitizer. I use gloves every time I pump gas or use the canister at the drive through at the bank..Yuck!

 

[kenny]

I sometimes wear gloves if I know I can’t be near soap and water. It’s also a good reminder not to touch my face. I’ll pull them off inside out and use that to open the door, etc. At that point I still use my hand sanitizer. I use gloves every time I pump gas or use the canister at the drive through at the bank..Yuck!

I probably don't need to mention this, but ...
For how some people use them, gloves may give a false sense of security.

We can safely assume that gloves are C19-free when you take them out of their package.
But the moment your gloved hand touches something the glove might get contaminated with C19 at, say, the gas station pump.
Then, still wearing those gloves, you drive to the grocery store.
Now your steering wheel might have C19 on it, and then everything you bought at the store.

And touching our face is no safer when wearing gloves since the gloves can have the cooties on them.

 

[Calliecake]

@MamaBee, I wear the gloves too and have hand sanitizer in the car. DH looked at me getting all geared up to pick up a prescription at the drive thru and said that he is expecting me to be in fully NASA gear in December when leaving the house. Cases are raising in our area.

I’m so sorry to hear about your family issues. I know how hard this is on you. Please take good care of yourself. I’m sorry.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I still worry that some of these people are getting sick even with a mask. I guess I'm paranoid! I wish I knew if they
have been wearing one...perhaps the percentage of time or...out in public but not at home, etc.

What about the health care professionals still getting sick ?
We have had 2 or 3 cases this week from nurses who work for the quareteen hotels
Unlike people in managed isolation the staff are still free to come and go and in this case cause community transmission

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I sometimes wear gloves if I know I can’t be near soap and water. It’s also a good reminder not to touch my face. I’ll pull them off inside out and use that to open the door, etc. At that point I still use my hand sanitizer. I use gloves every time I pump gas or use the canister at the drive through at the bank..Yuck!

I put them on as i entre a store and carefully disgard them in the bin as i leave then use sanatizer

 

[MamaBee]

I probably don't need to mention this, but ...
For how some people use them, gloves may give a false sense of security.

We can safely assume that gloves are C19-free when you take them out of their package.
But the moment your gloved hand touches something the glove might get contaminated with C19 at, say, the gas station pump.
Then, still wearing those gloves, you drive to the grocery store.
Now your steering wheel might have C19 on it, and then everything you bought at the store.

And touching our face is no safer when wearing gloves since the gloves can have the cooties on them.

Yes Kenny...but that would be a normal person. I take my gloves off after I pump gas. I would never get in my car and touch my steering wheel or car door handle with the gloves..

 

[MamaBee]

@MamaBee, I wear the gloves too and have hand sanitizer in the car. DH looked at me getting all geared up to pick up a prescription at the drive thru and said that he is expecting me to be in fully NASA gear in December when leaving the house. Cases are raising in our area.

I’m so sorry to hear about your family issues. I know how hard this is on you. Please take good care of yourself. I’m sorry.

Thank you @Calliecake..XO
I do the same thing at the pharmacy! People can laugh all they want! Haha

 

[MamaBee]

@Daisys and Diamonds I don’t go into the store..but I did have lots of doctor visits. I also brought my car into the dealer for service with two masks on. I waited outside in the parking lot. I bring my own chair.

 

[MMtwo]

I wear a mask at the pharmacy drive through too.
Had a weird situation at work today - morning team meeting on Zoom and I told team members that our colleague "C" was diagnosed with COVID-19 last weekend. I saw this on her FaceBook page but that she was feeling better a week later. Team member "I" grew quiet, and then said that "they" were in "C"'s office last week for a meeting - all masked. This put "I" in an enclosed space 2 days before diagnosis. This was the first time that "I" had heard about it. Yikes.

To be clear, I am hiding out in my office at home and do not go to work in person anymore.

 

[MamaBee]

I wear a mask at the pharmacy drive through too.
Had a weird situation at work today - morning team meeting on Zoom and I told team members that our colleague "C" was diagnosed with COVID-19 last weekend. I saw this on her FaceBook page but that she was feeling better a week later. Team member "I" grew quiet, and then said that "they" were in "C"'s office last week for a meeting - all masked. This put "I" in an enclosed space 2 days before diagnosis. This was the first time that "I" had heard about it. Yikes.

To be clear, I am hiding out in my office at home and do not go to work in person anymore.

That’s so bad @moneymeister....I would be livid that I wasn’t informed.

 

[MMtwo]

That’s so bad @moneymeister....I would be livid that I wasn’t informed.

Me too!

 

[OoohShiny]

For those still wondering if masks work (but not willing to put the work in to read the scientific literature), I have some nice anecdata. I gave blood the other night at the Red Cross center near my house. That facility has required masks for blood donations for at least the last 6 months, staff and donors. Staff originally had homemade fabric masks (probably due to PPE shortage), but are now wearing paper-type surgical masks. If you've given blood, you know the nurses are all up in your business for at least 15 minutes. First you sit within 2-3 feet of one while they go through the donation questions and take your vitals in a small enclosed room. That's probably 5-10 minutes. Then they are close to you while they set up the donation apparatus, check on you periodically and then remove the needle/finish up. If it's slow, they might stay nearby and chat. So definitely what CDC could consider to be close contact and a higher risk indoor activity. The nurse I spoke to said that none of the staff have become positive for COVID, either via PCR or antibody test (Red Cross has an antibody testing program for donations - sounds like this is also available to staff), despite 3 known exposures where someone donated and then was determined to be positive during that period.

Masks certainly aren't guaranteed protection, but they help. No reason not to wear one!

Are we saying that correlation = causation?

 

[Calliecake]

I wear a mask at the pharmacy drive through too.
Had a weird situation at work today - morning team meeting on Zoom and I told team members that our colleague "C" was diagnosed with COVID-19 last weekend. I saw this on her FaceBook page but that she was feeling better a week later. Team member "I" grew quiet, and then said that "they" were in "C"'s office last week for a meeting - all masked. This put "I" in an enclosed space 2 days before diagnosis. This was the first time that "I" had heard about it. Yikes.

To be clear, I am hiding out in my office at home and do not go to work in person anymore.

Please keep working from home @moneymeister . How irresponsible of the company to not notify her coworkers immediately that they may have been exposed.

 

[m-cubed]

Are we saying that correlation = causation?

I’m saying that frontline medical workers with known exposure to COVID-19 have remained negative for the virus, likely at least in part due to mask wearing based on the known science to date. I don’t think trying to spread doubt on the recommended public health measures is particularly helpful in a pandemic.

 

[MMtwo]

Please keep working from home @moneymeister . How irresponsible of the company to not notify her coworkers immediately that they may have been exposed.

Hi Calliecake....right!, exactly. Although the place "I" visited is a different company than where "C" works. All of us work in the human services field with a good deal of interagency overlap.

I'll just keep on working in my basement office for a bit

 

[OoohShiny]

I’m saying that frontline medical workers with known exposure to COVID-19 have remained negative for the virus, likely at least in part due to mask wearing based on the known science to date. I don’t think trying to spread doubt on the recommended public health measures is particularly helpful in a pandemic.

In your own words, it is anecdata rather than a controlled experiment - correlation cannot be confirmed causation when there are (I imagine) other enhanced hygiene measures in place that are (likely) observed to a greater or lesser degree by the various individuals!

A suite of measures seems a sensible approach, but I don't believe any apparent benefits can be entirely attributed to mask wearing on that basis.

Your reply above notes this! but I would argue that your original post does not make it clear

 

[telephone89]

Goodness, can’t we have ONE thread you don’t try to derail about anti-mask garbage?

 

[OoohShiny]

Goodness, can’t we have ONE thread you don’t try to derail about anti-mask garbage?

I was noting basic scientific principles should be observed - as I have been asked to adhere to myself

I will put to one side that science is open to debate

 

[telephone89]

I was noting basic scientific principles should be observed - as I have been asked to adhere to myself

I will put to one side that science is open to debate

Isn’t detailing against TOS? You try to derail every. Single. Thread. That even mentions masks. Inappropriate and unwanted.

 

[OoohShiny]

Isn’t detailing against TOS? You try to derail every. Single. Thread. That even mentions masks. Inappropriate and unwanted.

There are plenty of threads that mention masks and other SARS-CoV-2 response measures that I've not commented on

Is the suggestion that no discussion is permitted from an alternative viewpoint to that held by a vocal (apparent) majority because to do so is 'derailing'?

I am concerned for the concept of free speech and scientific debate if that is the case.